Tropical Cyclone Ilsa: Sandfire Roadhouse hunkers down, pastoralists evacuate fearing they’ll be ‘smashed’

The owner of a roadhouse in the direct line of the most intense cyclone to pass over the Kimberley in a decade has said he and his staff will hunker down and ride out the severe weather, as the area’s pastoralists fear they’ll be “smashed”. The tropical low, set to be named Ilsa once cyclone strength is reached, is forecast to reach at least category three severity and hit between Broome and Port Hedland on Thursday April 13, bringing gale-force winds and flash flooding. Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said residents needed to take the weather warning extremely seriously because the cyclone may reach category four. “It’s been some 10 years since there’s been a cyclone greater than category three through this area,” he said. But for Sandfire Roadhouse co-owner Ken Norton, who has lived in Cyclone Alley for more than 50 years, it’s just another cyclone season with the laid-back owner showing little signs of worry. “They closed the road Wednesday afternoon and there’s no traffic on the road Thursday, we’ll be right,” he said. “Everything else will sort itself out.” Mr Norton said although cyclones were usually unpredictable, upcoming Tropical Cyclone Ilsa seemed to be staying on its estimated trajectory and he expects it to hit him between April 13 and 14 as reported. “Sometimes these cyclones can’t make up their mind but this one hasn’t veered off its anticipated track,” he said. But pastoralists in the line of fire fear they’ll be “smashed” by the approaching cyclone. Wallal Downs cattle station, north-east of Port Hedland, is also in the Bureau of Meteorology’s projected path of the powerful weather system. Manager Belinda Lethbridge told AAP her team was preparing as much as they could, but it may not be enough to save the property from destruction. “This one is potentially going to be the worst we’ve seen for a number of years from what they’re reporting so it’s a lot more concerning than any others,” she said. “All the models are heading the right way — the wrong way for us meaning we’re probably going to get smashed pretty badly — but the right way for a big catastrophe.” Ms Lethbridge and her family also run nearby Warrawagine Station which is also in the cyclone’s potential path. “We’ll be organised but you can only do as much as you can and you think you’re prepared as you can be, but you never know how bad it’s going to be,” she said. The two stations’ dozen staff will be evacuated to Broome on Wednesday ahead of the cyclone’s arrival. But despite others evacuating Mr Norton said he would hunker down at the Sandfire Roadhouse and ride out the storm alongside 12 of his staff. “The staff had an option to go into Broome and they decided to stay here,” he said. “We will all congregate in the roadhouse and bring mattresses and so forth for overnight on Thursday.” The roadhouse owner who has battled through countless cyclones over the years said he just hoped the damage would be minimal. “We did all our cyclone preparation back in December and everything is up to spec for the anticipated cyclone season but I never expected a cyclone to come this late during the season,” he said. “We might have some sheets of iron blowing around the place but nothing of any great importance.” “You are always going to get damage, you just hope its minimal. It’s just the way the cards fall really.” A Blue Alert was issued for people in or near Cape Leveque to Broome, but not including the Broome town site, on Monday afternoon. Although there is no immediate danger, residents are urged to start preparing for dangerous weather and keep up to date with Bureau of Meteorology warnings.